VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

[swduncan]

I’m starting the process of finding professional instruction, and I have a few questions...
 
Is it possible to start with a coach? Scheduling for me will be a challenge, so I was thinking a coach might be logistically a lot easier than classes, particularly if they’re in Chicago.
 
What should I expect to pay for coaching? Is there a predominant business model  - i.e. contracts, subscriptions, pay as you go, etc.?
 
Other than Harlan’s site, is there a reputable list of coaches?
 
Anyone have a recommendation for the Milwaukee area? I’d really prefer  to work with someone I can meet with face to face at least once in a while.
 
Last but not least, if you were going to give only one (ok, maybe two) pieces of advice on how to find the right coach, what would that be?

Many thanks in advance!

Steve

[Philip Banks]

Even in NYC and LA the majority of people who sell themselves a VO coaches are clueless in the extreme. The qualification for being a coach appears to be "know more than the student" and to me that simply isn't good enough.

Many VOs are great Cheerleaders and so when asking for an introduction to a coach you need to listen VERY VERY carefully as the devil is in the detail or more often than not the complete lack of it.

3 key questions

Pre-coach where were you?
Where are you now?
How did your coach get you from A to B?

Pay attention to the answers, they must be quantifiable.

"Dood, he really got me in touch with the copy" ...Nice, but in the business context it don't mean a thing.

[swduncan]

Thanks Mr. Banks!

It occurred to me that local studios might know people, which led to Ray Fister at 5th Floor Recording. He offers coaching, and I'm meeting with him next week to discuss it.

I also found a reference to classes held by David Conner and Dave Redemann, but it's not clear they're still being offered.

I mention these in case anyone has had experience with them - contact me via PM or email.

[Philip Banks]

A few months ago I was chatting to Elisa Canas about a kick in the career. Whilst Elisa had no real problems she found herself too busy to steer the ship. Coaching, classes, covention? No. What was needed was some thinking time, talking time and doing time. What did she do? Spent a week in Portgordon. Did the time here make a difference? I'm told it did.

The point I'm trying to make is that you may gain a great deal by spending time with (in your case) somebody who is doing what you would like to do.

Just a thought.

[Bob Bergen]

All terrific suggestions from Mr. Banks.

I also suggest just doing what you are doing. Ask around! Also, if workshops are what you are looking for, see if you can audit for free before plunking down the big bucks. Many don't allow auditors. But i never took a class without auditing first. And I studied for years!

Personally, I'm not a fan of Skype coaching. But that's just me. I know many who both teach via Skype and study via Skype, and they love it. But for me, I need to be with my students. I need to make eye contact, observe body language, etc. And, as a student just know that your competition is doing whatever it takes to be the best and make it in this industry. You need to do more!

And, as it was already suggested, you want honesty. Sugar coating gets you nowhere. Now, I don't think you want/need an a-hole as a coach. But you want someone to stretch you beyond your comfort zone in a way that challenges, but isn't so threatening that you are afraid to try again.

And, don't forget to have fun! B

[Philip Banks]

I knew Bob would have something intelligent to write on the subject and was particularly fond of his Skype/phone comment. For some, remote teaching is the only real option but my guess is that many choose it because they like the degree of separation. Learning and growth comes from a high level of connection.

The internet has opened the door to VO work for introverted, techie geeks yet the only ones who have been able to walk through are those who overcome real introversion and geekiness and get out amongst REAL people.

[Yonie]

Adding on to the sentiment from Bob and Phil; I could never personally do long distance learning. I need to see the person, feel their presence, and be able to respond appropriately. Call it being tactile. I am a geek and extreme intro- or extrovert, it varies between each day.

Strive for personal contact. It also helps to see how much interest they hold in teaching you.

[elisacanas]

Hello everyone,

As Philip mentioned, I popped up to Scotland early this year to see him as I felt I was getting myself in a muddle and needed some clarity from someone who knew better than I did. I appreciate not everyone is as fortunate as me to be able to run to Philip and pester him for advice when things get tricky but sometimes taking a step back and looking at things through business eyes is really what you need to do.
Figure out where you're at, where you want to be and what you need to change in order to get there and then start taking steps in that direction. For me, doing that simple thing changed my career and outlook in a massive way.
From a coaching point of view, I decided to get in touch with Nancy Wolfson last year as wanted some advice on marketing and so on, and ended up working through her program. It was distance learning by phone (obviously!) and I thought she was absolutely brilliant. I appreciate some people prefer to be in the room with their tutor, whatever they might be studying but as our industry is one in which we are pretty much never in the room with our audience, I think distance learning where your tutor ONLY has your voice at their disposal in actually very appropriate.
Good luck on your mission. Onwards and upwards! x
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[Philip Banks]

[jsgilbert]

I think there are many things one can learn remotely. The difficulty with hearing a voice over a phone line deals with the fact that the voice is highly compressed. Compared to any method by which a consumer might be exposed to a voice over, the phone relies on psycho-acoustic processes, which makes it a very poor tool for any level of technical analysis, and a less than stellar vehicle for creative interpretation. Additionally, it removes many other elements from the equation, such as microphone technique. It is doubtful anybody will speak the same way on a phone as they would when working i front of a microphone.

Better than nothing I suppose, but one should understand its limitations. I think that recording mp3 files in ones studio, which mimics the audition process, and then sending them to a trusted partner for review and comment makes a bit more sense.

Also, while I am not sure about the audio fidelity of Skype, and I understand it can vary, I have been Skype directed by many clients and the audio quality seems to be much better.

mp3 files are 44.1k, standard telephone lines are around 8k. Skype uses sophisticated audio codecs, which seem to, as of late, be quite good. I don't know how the actual compression rate compares to a 44.1 128k mp3 file, but if I had to guess, to my ears it's about 65% the audio quality for speech. Perhaps not quite where you would want it to be for technical direction, but close and certainly good enough for creative direction. And given that one can record normally on their microphone using Skype, it seems to be a pretty okay solution for working real time with somebody.
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j.s. gilbert

js@jsgilbert.com
www.jsgilbert.com

"today is the first day of the rest of the week"

[Deirdre]

The coaching via Skype method has been working real well for my students and me— they send files of their work to me before the session, which I listen to and makes notes on, and then we go thru and critique in the lesson. Skype is plenty good for going over issues of script interp, inflection and phrasing, attitude, etc.

If I were even remotely qualified to do character coaching, I'd by golly want to be in the same air space as my student because Skype can't transmit the subtleties of placement and pitch characteristic and the like.

So I agree, and I don't agree, but I agree.
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IMDB

[Philip Banks]

I could teach someone to fly using skype but at some point they would need to sit next to me in an aeroplane and do their thing.

[Lee Gordon]

[elisacanas]

Lee...you saw right through me!!!
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E: elisa@elisacanas.com
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W: www.elisacanas.com